Friendship Games are Magic
by Groudon199
Summary: [sequel to "Dazzling Revenge"] Things have taken a positive turn over the past month. The other students no longer make fun of me, and Sunset Shimmer & I have become good friends. Every 4 years, our school takes on Crystal Prep Academy in the "Friendship Games". Hopefully there aren't any supernatural surprises. Third time's the charm, right? [Mild language, MLPEG:FG spoilers]
1. Prologue

**A/N: Although this is a sequel, it doesn't take place after the epilogue. Instead, it takes place a month after the Battle of the Bands. Reading the first is recommended.**

 **As a reminder, the main character's name is Cloudflare. He has light orange skin (a bit lighter than Applejack's) and short green-blue hair, and he wears a plain black shirt and blue pants.**

* * *

 *****Week 1, Tuesday*****

I open my locker. Put these books in, take those books out, put them in my backpack.

"Hey, Cloudflare." Rainbow walks up to me as I close the locker.

"Hi, Rainbow." We bump fists. "What's up?"

"I'm going on a spy mission, and I want you to tag along."

"Who are you spying on?"

"Crystal Prep. I wanna check out the competition."

"Why me?"

"I don't trust Pinkie, and everybody else is busy."

"I see..."

I've gotten pretty good at not being noticed during the school year, so why not put those skills to the test?

"I don't have anything else to do today, so I'm in."

"Awesome! Let's go!"

* * *

"Why do we have to go through the trees?"

"What else are we supposed to do? Walk through the gate? I'm pretty sure they'll see us!"

"But why are you _in_ the tree? Can't you just walk?"

"It looks cooler."

"Why does that matter? We're trying _not_ to be seen."

She leaps from the tree into a bush, then leaps into another bush, and rolls into the next one. She leaps from that bush toward a tree, pushes off of it, and does five flips before sticking the landing. She rolls into the bush closest to the field, sneaks behind the tree next to it, then leaps into another bush. I slowly join her.

"9.8 from the judges. Now can we please stop showing off?"

We look through the bush. From our vantage point, several students are running up and down the soccer pitch.

Is it just me or is the pitch... uneven? It looks like the middle line is off-center.

"We need to get a better view," she whispers.

"This is the best view we'll get without walking onto the field."

A few pairs of students are doing sit-ups. That one girl looks familiar. Light grey, brown hair, knee-high socks...

"No... It can't be..."

"You see something?"

"See that girl with brown hair?"

"Barely."

"It's hard to tell from here, but I think that might be -"

"Hey, guys!"

"Gah!" Pinkie?!

Rainbow and I quickly hide behind the tree. "What are you doing here?"

"I figured you two could use an extra set of eyes on your spy mission! Since I can't lend mine out, I figured I'd tag along instead!"

I see why Rainbow didn't trust her.

"How did you figure out we were here?" I ask.

"I heard you two talking about it at your locker."

Rainbow sighs. A few students are about to run by. "Quick! Get down!" She pushes Pinkie back into the bush. We move to the one on the other side of the tree.

"I still can't see very well from here..."

I hear a squeaking sound. I look next to me, and I see Pinkie floating upward. Balloons are tied around her waist, and Rainbow is on top of them.

Seriously?!

"Best view in the house!"

Does this girl not have a volume control?

Rainbow pops all the balloons. I hold my arms out to catch them. Rainbow lands in my arms, and Pinkie lands on her feet. I set Rainbow down.

Pinkie starts smelling her. "You smell like vanilla!" Rainbow covers Pinkie's mouth.

That was... a random thing to say.

"We're _trying_ to eavesdrop," Rainbow whispers. "That means they _don't_ hear us."

"Ooh! I have just the thing!" She hurries off to another bush.

Rainbow sighs. "This is why I didn't want her to be here."

Hm... She _does_ smell like vanilla. Perfume, maybe?

Nah, she's not the type of girl who wears that stuff.

I notice a microphone above a couple students doing sit-ups. I follow the pole it's attached to, and...

Yup. Should've known. "Is she _really_ this dumb?"

"What are you doing?!" Even Rainbow's getting frustrated. "We're _trying_ to spy on them. Do you even know what 'spy' means?" She grabs the microphone pole and throws it aside. "It means being sneaky. It means not being seen! It means **BEING QUIET!** "

Saw that coming. I don't even have to look at the students to know she's been spotted.

"Rainbow Dash?"

That voice...

"Bush to Dash. Code Red. You have been spotted." Pinkie grabs the bush she's hiding in. "RUUUUUN!" She speeds off. "Good luck, Cloudflare!"

Damn it, Pinkie!

Rainbow follows her. As they leave, the students return to what they were doing. The brown-haired girl glances in this direction.

I'm pretty sure it's her. Only thing throwing me off is she never did any after-school activities.

The voice, though... It couldn't be anybody else's.

Probably not a good idea to stay here any longer. I slowly back up, and after passing a few trees, I walk toward the fence and hop over it.

* * *

 *****Week 1, Friday*****

"I'm not saying I don't like parties. I'm saying I don't want one."

We walk into the band room.

"But why not? Birthdays are for celebrating!"

"Not for me. I don't like making a big deal out of..."

In the room, there are several... science machines, I guess they're called? One of them has two antenna things with a bolt of electricity flowing from one to the other. Sunset is at that machine, wearing a lab coat.

"Uh... I thought we were rehearsing," Rainbow says.

Sunset turns around. "You are. Sort of. Back when I was Princess Celestia's student, I learned best by going out into the field and actually doing something. Studying ancient books is fine for some, but I like to solve magical mysteries by rolling up my sleeves and getting my hooves - uh, hands dirty."

"I can relate to workin' hard outdoors," Applejack says, "but what in the hay does that have to do with us playin' music?"

"I'm trying to figure out how magic works here." Sunset plugs in one of the machines using a large plug. Huh, those _do_ exist. I thought they were only in cartoons. "Why you grow ears, tails, and wings when you pony up and what your instruments have to do with it."

"So why am _I_ here?" I ask.

"I want you to be my assistant."

"Assistant?"

"Sure! Every good scientist has one. An extra set of hands could come in handy. No pun intended."

Well, if it means I get to spend more time with her, I don't mind. "Sure, why not?"

"Great!" She hands me a helmet. "Could you put that on Fluttershy?"

It's a strainer with eight rods sticking out of the holes and wires wrapped around the ends, as well as a chin strap to hold it in place.

"Um... Are you _sure_ we need to figure it out?" Fluttershy asks as I put it on her head.

"It'll be fun! Just start playing. You won't even know I'm here."

I tighten the chin strap, then join Sunset. "Is all this stuff from the school?" I ask her.

"Most of it. They didn't have a helmet, so I had to improvise."

Why would the school need all this? Is there a Mad Scientists club? No wonder the budget's so tight...

After waiting for the machine to warm up, she gives a thumbs-up to Fluttershy, who begins playing her tambourine. I watch her play, and sure enough, her wings appear and her hair gets longer.

Wait, I thought she was left-handed.

Suddenly, the helmet comes loose and there's a bright light. After shielding my eyes, the light fades and all the ceiling lights go out. A few illuminated butterflies fly by, and one lands on my nose.

Something else I thought was only in cartoons...

* * *

"Not hooking anything up this time?"

"Science isn't always about attaching hundreds of gadgets to your test subjects. That only happens in cartoons."

That's what I said about giant plugs and butterflies on noses.

Applejack starts playing, and as usual, she ponies up and starts hovering in the air. That's the part _I'm_ most curious about. It abruptly cuts off without anything happening.

"So... is 'no result' a result?"

I hear something above me, so I glance up.

Duck and cover!

Whatever that stuff is, it falls on top of me and buries me beneath it.

It's not heavy, so that's good. I poke my head out of the top. It's a pile of apples.

"You okay?" Sunset asks.

"I'm fine." I take a bite of the apple in front of my face. "At least I'll never go hungry."

* * *

Sunset puts the last suction cup thing on Rarity.

"Uh... Are you sure you should be standing there? If she ends up doing what Fluttershy and AJ did, those diamonds could hurt."

"I'll be fine. When she starts hovering, she should be far enough above me so I don't get caught in the blast zone."

"I hope you're right."

Rarity begins playing, and she ponies up. As she starts getting airborne, I hear a thud. Sunset is on the ground with one of her legs up. A cord got wrapped around her ankle.

I hurry over and start to untangle it as Rarity returns to normal. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Guess I _should_ watch where I'm standing."

* * *

I feel like getting any sort of reading from Pinkie would be a waste of time.

Sunset watches the machine while Pinkie starts playing. I get in a position where I can push Sunset out of the way. I'm not sure how she could get hurt by balloons, but still... Once Pinkie ponies up, she starts going crazy on the drums. As soon as she goes for the crash cymbals, I shove Sunset out of the way.

I feel something slam into me and push me back. Whatever wind was left in me from that is knocked out when I hit the wall.

"Gah, f***!"

Okay... So _that's_ how.

Also, I'm pretty sure static cling isn't supposed to keep you pinned against a wall. Then again, I've never been shot at by a hundred balloons, so...

"Is this because I said I didn't want a party...?"

* * *

"Are you sure you still want to help?"

"My back's a little sore, but it's nothing serious. If it gets worse, I'll go see the nurse."

"Well, alright..."

"Besides, what's gonna happen to us in here?"

Pinkie joins us in the recording room. "You two might need this." She hands me an umbrella.

"Why?" I take it.

"Pinkie Sense." She leaves.

Pinkie Sense? Also, where'd she get this umbrella?

Rainbow starts playing. When she ponies up a trail of various colors flows through the guitar cable.

I think this is where I need it.

I open it as the colors reach the other end of the cable. I hold the umbrella in front of us, and I hear a splat. I move it out of the way, and I see a huge splash of rainbow... goop, I guess? ...on the window.

"Are we gonna have to clean this up?"

* * *

"Finally, after all this testing, I've come to a definitive conclusion!" She sighs. "I have no idea how magic works in this world."

"And I've come to the conclusion that balloons hurt if they're shot out of a bass drum." My back is killing me...

"Sorry about that," Pinkie says.

"If you girls don't mind, I'm gonna see if Nurse Redheart has an ice pack... and some painkillers."

* * *

 *****Week 2, Wednesday*****

 _Ambition is what I believed  
To be the only way to set me free_

This is a great song. What makes it even better is it's so personal. She has an amazing singing voice, too.

 _"Awesome as I wanna be"_

Really, Rainbow? A text _now_? Sunset's phone goes off, too. This better be good...

"EMERGENCY! Come 2 school NOW!"

Oh crap! I look at Sunset. "You get the same text?"

"Emergency at the school?"

"Yup."

"Let's go."

* * *

We arrive at the school. The other girls are here as well.

"We got your text, Rainbow," Sunset says. "Did something come through the portal? Is there Equestrian magic on the loose? Did Twilight come to us with a problem only _we_ can solve?"

"Did a giant cake monster cover all the cakes in the world with cake?!" Pinkie says as she stuffs two cupcakes in her mouth.

That... doesn't sound like an emergency. It sounds like a good thing. More cake!

"Um... not exactly."

Maybe cupcakes on top of a cake. Instead of 16 candles, 16 cupcakes.

"I... don't understand."

A cupcake birthday cake! Gotta remember to tell Pinkie about that.

"Well, Sunset," AJ says, "I was just tellin' Dash that a broken guitar string doesn't really count as an emergency."

"It totally does!"

"Really, Rainbow Dash..." Rarity's still wearing her seamstress glasses and the thing she keeps pins in, as well as the measuring tape around the back of her neck. "I was in the middle of sewing a very complex appliqué on my latest frock."

"And I was just about to tuck everyone in for the night at the shelter." Fluttershy is holding a bunny. "Now we'll have to start stories all over again," she says to it.

"Sunset was playing a new song she's been working on, and it sounded great," I say.

"Why would you send all of us an emergency text for a guitar string?" Sunset asks.

"Well, I _was_ gonna pony up and show our fans some awesome guitar licks." Rainbow motions to Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, who are sitting on the steps and waving at us. "I kinda need all six strings to do it. Got any extra?"

Are you serious? "You interrupted my alone time with Sunset for _that_?!"

"I'm out of replacements!"

"Okay, but why did you text _all_ of us? Sunset's the only one who plays guitar."

"I sorta... panicked."

Sunset gets a string out of her backpack and gives it to Rainbow. "Here, but everyone finished practicing for the day. I'm pretty sure all the music rooms are locked."

"No problem. The acoustics in the hallway are perfect for power chords." She plays one. "Come on! Let's go!" The girls, except for Sunset, walk into the school.

"You two comin'?" AJ asks.

"We'll catch up in a bit."

AJ closes the door behind her.

"How lax is the security in this school?" I say rhetorically.

"What do you mean?"

"The doors are always unlocked. Everybody can come and go as they please, pretty much."

We sit on the steps. "Well, nothing ever happens that would warrant keeping them locked."

"Yeah, but I figured student safety would be their top priority. Maybe the school can't afford remote door locks."

"You're _still_ on about that stuff?"

"Hey, I call it like I see it."

She gets out her journal.

"Dear Princess Twilight:

How's life treating you in Equestria? Any cool new magic spells?"

The past month has been great. Aside from a couple freshmen, the students have stopped insulting me. I'm not concerned about those two. The Crusaders told me they act like that to almost everybody. Trixie keeps bragging about her band making it to the finals, but I don't let it bother me. That's just how she is.

I haven't seen the Dazzlings since that night. I wonder what they've been up to...

The tryouts for the Friendship Games went well. Pinkie practically begged me to go, so I decided to give it a shot. It ended up more being like a talent show. "You can juggle five things at once? Congratulations! You're on the team!" Not that I'm complaining. I'm glad to be on the team with my friends. Especially Sunset. Lyra and Sweetie Drops turned it into a competition between the two of them, but they both made the team anyway. I'm still not sure what that peacock vs. owl thing was supposed to be...

Speaking of Sunset, she changed her regular outfit, and although I kinda liked the leather jacket, I understand her wanting to get rid of it. The new look makes her look cuter, at least.

It's only been a month, but I really like her. It might seem strange having a crush on somebody who used to make your life miserable, but she's a completely different person now. I'd ask her to be my girlfriend, but I feel it's too early for that. That's not to say I don't think she likes me back. We spend a lot of time together, and she's gotten a little flirty a couple times.

"Your friend, Sunset Shimmer."

"Perfect!"

I look up, and I see three girls running up to us. Two of them are holding lights, and the other is holding a camera.

As soon as they reach us, they hold the lights next to us and the other girl starts taking pictures. "Gaze into each other's eyes. Hold hands. Show me what true love looks like."

"True love? Wait, we're not -"

"Gaze!"

We look at each other and I take her hands in mine. As much as I want this, I don't want it to be forced.

 _*click* *click* *click*_

"Yes... Yes!"

 _*click* *click* *click*_

This feels really uncomfortable...

"Enough! I go." They leave.

...

"What was _that_ about?" she asks.

"Why did she think we're a couple?"

"Maybe because we were sitting together." She looks down. "Um... You can let go of my hands now."

"Oh, right." I let go, and I feel myself starting to blush.

"...wouldn't mind..." I hear her mumble.

"What was that?"

"Oh, n-nothing..."

I notice something in the corner of my eye. I look in that direction, and there's somebody in a greenish-blue hoodie standing at the statue. They're holding some type of purple device in their right hand and their left hand is on the spot where the portal is.

"Hey!"

They turn around. It's a girl.

"What are you doing?"

She starts running away.

"Wait!" The two of us give chase.

"Get back here!"

As we're about to cross the street, a car drives past us and cuts us off. A bus pulls up to the other side. By the time we get to the sidewalk, the bus pulls away, and the girl is gone.

"Who _was_ that?"

"And what was she doing at the portal?" We walk back to the statue, and I put my hand on the portal spot. It produces a blue ripple effect.

I wonder if anyone's ever questioned this. Surely somebody's rested against this and noticed the ripple.

* * *

The girls and I are in the library.

"Do you think she came through the portal?" Fluttershy asks.

"No, I'm pretty sure I would've noticed that," Sunset says. "I think she's from here."

"That's a relief," AJ says. "The last thing we need is _another_ magical being from Equestria comin' here to take over the world."

"It's happened twice already," I say. "I'm pretty sure the Friendship Games will go off without a hitch."

"I dunno," Pinkie says. "The rule of three says something's gonna happen."

"Yeah, but third time's a charm."

"Still," Sunset says, "a mysterious figure snooping around the portal? Don't you wanna know what she's up to?"

"I don't even wanna _guess_..." Fluttershy says.

"Well, you don't have to," Rainbow says, holding a book, "because I've totally figured out who it was!"

"Ooh ooh! A nighttime statue cleaner? A magical portal maintenance maintainer?" Pinkie holds up two books. "A gardener?"

Seriously? "She was holding a purple device with green and red on the meter. I don't think she's a - wait, let me see that second book." She hands it to me. Maintaining Your Magical Portal. "Um... Why would the school have a book like this? Come to think of it, why would _anybody_ have a book like this?"

"Forget about that," Rainbow says. "Seeing as how they got off a bus _from_ the city and got back on a bus headed _to_ the city, I'll bet they go to..."

"Crystal Prep..."

"Yup. The Friendship Games start tomorrow, and they'd totally try to prank us by defacing the Wondercolts statue again."

"Why would anyone take a bus all the way from the city for that?" Sunset asks.

"Because they're our biggest rivals," AJ says.

"Because that's just what the students at Crystal Prep would do." Rarity says.

"Because they _still_ have to gloat even when they beat us in everything," Rainbow says.

"Okay, number one," I say, " _we_ took a bus to Crystal Prep to spy on them first, so maybe they'd be returning the favor. Number two, the girl was holding some type of handheld meter. There's not much you can do to anything with something like that. Number three, she had a hand on the spot where the portal opens. She was clearly looking for something."

"This whole thing seems kinda silly to me," Sunset says.

"Silly?!"

"So I guess you think the Friendship Games are silly, too," Rainbow says.

"Well, it's not like we're fighting some evil magical creature."

"No, but we're fighting our biggest rivals," I say. "Not everything has to be magical to be important."

"Yeah, you're right. I just don't get why there's this big rivalry. With a name like the 'Friendship Games', shouldn't it be about our two schools getting along?"

"Well, it's kinda hard to get along with someone who beats you at everything," AJ says.

"Not anymore!" Rainbow says. "This time, things are gonna be different."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you'll find out..."


	2. Thursday

*****Crystal Prep Academy, ?'s POV*****

Okay, let's see... Don't need any of these books. Might as well leave my backpack here. I put it away, then close my locker.

I hate that my locker's on the top floor, especially when my final class of the day is on the bottom floor. I'm amazed my leg's still holding up from all this. Maybe because I'm so careful with how I walk up and down the stairs.

Stairs... Right... Grab both railings, lead each step with my right leg, apply as little pressure to it as I can. Every time I do this, I feel like I'm 13 again. I told the principal I can't do this every day, but she said I should suck it up.

 _This school is full of people, but still I don't belong_

Singing?

A girl walks up to the window.

 _They only dream of winning,  
Look at me like something's wrong_

I think that's... Twilight Sparkle, the smartest student in school. Why is she singing?

 _Maybe I'm better off alone...  
Will I find what I'm looking for if I just do it on my own?_

Do it on her own? I _tried_ being her friend, but she said she doesn't have time for relationships!

 _I know there's more that's out there  
Something to fill this hole inside_

She walks away from the window as I pass by her.

 _I know there's more that's out there  
And I'm not afraid to try_

So now she _wants_ a friend?

 _There's only so much this school can offer  
And I'm not saying that it's wrong_

Twilight's right about one thing. All they care about is winning, and they act like I don't exist. Sugarcoat's exact words were "You're a former Canterlot High School student. We don't associate with your type." At least they don't ridicule me.

It was that reason why Principal Cinch told me to join the team for the upcoming Friendship Games. She said having a former CHS student on the team might throw them off their game, even after I told her about my history with that school. When I reminded her about my leg, she said I was handling the stairs just fine. I'm pretty sure she has it out for me. Why else would all four of my classes be on different floors?

I sigh. Sometimes I wonder if transferring here was the right thing to do. Yes, the CHS students gave me crap on a daily basis, but one boy made things a little more tolerable. The only person there who showed me any kindness. Here, I feel... alone.

I hope he's doing better...

* * *

 *****Canterlot High School, Cloudflare's POV*****

The girls and I, sans Rainbow, are sitting in the gym. Rarity and Sunset are sitting next to me, while Pinkie, AJ, and Fluttershy are in the row in front of me.

Almost everybody looks bored. Like they don't want to be here. I don't blame them. When your rival school kicks your school's butt at everything, it's hard to get excited over facing them at anything.

"As I am sure you all know," Principal Celestia says, "tomorrow, Canterlot High School will be meeting with our fellow students from Crystal Prep Academy as we join together in the spirit of excellence, sportsmanship, and fidelity to compete in the Friendship Games."

The students' reactions mirror their expressions.

"Since the games only happen every four years, I'm sure you're all curious what goes on."

"Other than us losing?!"

I would've expected Thunderlane to say something like that, not Flash. Especially when he's on the team.

"And _that_ is exactly why I've asked Rainbow Dash to come up and give you all a little... context."

Rainbow walks on-stage and grabs the mic. "Thank you, Principal Celestia." She clears her throat. "I know what a lot of you are thinking. 'There's no way we can beat Crystal Prep at anything.'"

"Unless it's a 'losing to Crystal Prep' competition," Pinkie shouts, "'cause we're _really_ good at that!"

At least we've got _one_ claim to fame.

Rainbow groans at Pinkie's outburst. "And it's true that CHS has _never_ won the Friendship Games."

"Oh, dear," Rarity says. "I hope this speech isn't meant to be motivational."

I hear the school band start playing. "Crystal Prep students are super athletic, super smart, and super motivated. But there's one thing they _aren't_. They aren't Wondercolts!"

'Cause if they were, _they'd_ be the ones who always lose.

As Rainbow starts singing, the stage curtains open, revealing members of the school band.

 _We've fought magic more than once  
And come out on top_

Well, technically -

 _There's other schools, but none can make those claims_

Technically, only six students fought magic. Everybody else was being controlled by said magic, manipulated by magical creatures, or wearing headphones to block it out.

Also, why would any school make those claims to begin with? "Fighting magic" sounds like the plot of some little girls' show. Or a fighting game about wizards. Or some card game.

They get off the stage and walk down the aisles, continuing to play.

I look around, and I see Vinyl plug something into her turntable. Wow, guess she _does_ take off her headphones sometimes.

A guitar riff and drum beat start playing over the gym's speakers. I gotta admit, I'm a bit more hyped now.

As the song continues, the other students start getting into it, even singing along.

Some of the band members throw things into the crowd. It's those Wondercolts ears. The same ones from back at the Fall Formal. I'm not sure what it is about those that hypes everyone up, but they sure are effective.

 _Na, na, na na na na  
Wondercolts united together_

Okay, how do they all know the words? Is there a version of the Wondercolts anthem with lyrics that I'm not aware of?

As the song nears its conclusion, Rainbow... ponies up? How? Her guitar's nowhere near her. The other girl throws her baton in the air and Rainbow catches it as the song ends. The crowd cheers.

* * *

We meet with Rainbow behind the stage's curtain after everyone else has cleared out.

"Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy says, "that... was... amazing! Even _I_ feel like we can win this year!"

"I feel like my school pride is at an all-time high!" Rarity says.

"I've never felt so hyped up about anything in this school before!" I say.

"I'm not the only person wonderin' how Dash ponied up without her guitar, right?" AJ asks.

"Probably because I'm so awesome!"

"Maybe," Sunset says. "I mean, you _are_ awesome, but there's gotta be more to it than that, right? It just seems so random."

"Well, it would be nice if all of you could get a handle on it." Vice Principal Luna is standing behind Sunset. "We'd like to keep magic as far away from the Friendship Games as possible. We don't want to be accused of cheating."

"We don't need magic to defeat those hoity-toity Crystal Preppers!" Rarity says.

The others agree with her.

Wait. "We don't?"

"Of course we don't!" Rainbow says.

"I thought your song was saying we can win this time because we have magic on our side."

"Why would I write a song about cheating to win?!"

"You showed demon Sunset and the sirens when you were singing, 'We overcame the obstacles we faced'. If that doesn't send the message 'We can win because we have magic'..."

"Enough, you two," Luna interrupts. She looks at Sunset. "Sunset Shimmer, you came here from a world of magic. Perhaps you can get to the bottom of _our_ magical development."

"I'll do my best."

Luna nods, then leaves.

"Okay. Anybody have any guesses what the events are gonna be?" Rainbow asks.

Pinkie pulls a pie out of her hair. "Pie eating?" Then a cake. "Cake eating?" She gasps, then slams the two together. "PIE-CAKE EATING?!"

How did she...

"They won't even let us see the field," AJ says. "Ya think they'd at least tell competitors what they're competing in."

"It could be anything," Fluttershy says.

"Anything?!" Rarity exclaims. "How will I _ever_ pick the right outfit?!"

"You don't need to make outfits for _everything_ we do," I say.

"Nonsense. We have to look our best at these events."

"I really wanna help," Sunset says, "but I think I should focus on figuring out why Rainbow Dash ponied up. See ya later!" She leaves for the library.

"Seems like she's got everything under control," Pinkie says. "Nothing to worry about."

I hope you're right.

* * *

 _I may not know what the future holds  
But hear me when I say  
That my past does not define me  
'Cause my past is not today_

As we finish the song, the girls' pony ears and wings disappear. I kinda feel left out by not being able to pony up.

"I hope the Friendship Games have a music competition," Rainbow says, "'cause we'd totally rock it!"

After last month, I'm not sure they'll do another one of those anytime soon.

"We're supposed to keep magic _out_ of the Friendship Games, remember?" Sunset says.

"Just do what you did at the Battle to keep from ponying up," I say.

"Well," Rarity says, "while Sunset works on keeping the magic _out_ of the games, I've been working on what to put _in_!"

"Rarity, what did you do?" AJ asks.

She brings in a bunch of outfits on clothing racks. "Well, I had a _little_ time on my hands, and since we don't know what the events are, I made a few options for uniforms!"

I look through the ones on the rack she put next to me. "Cowboy, wrestler... Something that looks like it's worn by Sgt. Paprika's band? What event could this _possibly_ be suited for?"

"70s-style music competition?"

"You really didn't have to do all this," Rainbow says.

"I know."

"No, seriously," I say. "You _really_ didn't have to."

"I know! Oh, that reminds me. Cloudflare, I don't have your measurements. Could you drop by the boutique after the Crystal Prep students leave?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather wear my everyday clothes."

"Oh, but I insist. Like I said earlier, we all need to look our best."

"You know how I feel about fancy outfits."

"Formal attire is my specialty, but it's not the _only_ thing I make. If you want something simple, I'll do it."

"You promise it won't be some fancy, frou-frou suit or anything like that, right?"

"I Pinkie Promise." She goes through the motions.

I sigh. "Okay..."

"Excellent!"

"These outfits are great n' all," AJ says, "but why would you put so much time and effort into clothes we might not even wear? You're gonna exhaust yourself before the games even start."

"Oh, pfft! Don't be silly, darling! I _love_ putting effort into clothes, and spending time on my friends fills me with energy!" Suddenly, she ponies up.

Hm... Rainbow was rallying the students, and Rarity was making clothes for her friends. Making clothes is practically Rarity's career, but I don't think Rainbow wants to make a career out of hosting pep rallies.

Sunset mentioned something about the Elements of Harmony, but I wasn't really paying attention. Well, I was paying attention to _her_. Just not what she was _saying_. What were they, again? Friendship...

"Actually..." Rarity suddenly sounds out of breath. "Now that you... mention it... I suppose I _could_ use... a tiny break..." She faints.

"I _told_ you..."

The door opens. A girl walks in. It looks like...

"Twilight?"

"Uh... yes?"

Everyone walks up to her.

"Well, I'll be!" AJ says. "You shoulda told us you were comin'."

Something seems... off.

"Darling, those glasses... And what on earth are you wearing? It's so... severe."

"My... uniform?"

"You can critique her fashion choice later," I say. I take a closer look at her.

"Uh..."

"She certainly _resembles_ Twilight. Same skin color, same hair color, same voice..."

A dog pokes its head out of her backpack and barks.

"Same dog..."

"Spike!"

'Twilight' gasps. "You know my dog's name, too?"

"Even if I hadn't seen someone with her hairstyle in the city before," I say, "the Crystal Prep uniform is a dead giveaway."

"Wait... Crystal Prep?" Rainbow says.

I wonder...

"Twilight?" Principal Celestia's here.

"This is getting ridiculous..."

"I must apologize for the curiosity of my top student." Guess she's showing Principal... Cinch, I believe her name is? ...around the school.

" _Your_ student?"

"The smart ones are _always_ curious. I'll get her back to the rest of her classmates to check in." She leaves with 'Twilight'.

Celestia looks at us. "I didn't know Twilight had a twin sister."

"She doesn't!" Pinkie says. "That Twilight is obviously the Twilight from _this_ world since it couldn't possibly be the Twilight from the pony world since the Twilight from the pony world doesn't go to Crystal Prep or wear glasses!"

That's... pretty much what I was thinking.

Celestia is about to say something, but stops herself.

"Also, pony Twilight doesn't tie her hair in a bun or have bangs," I add.

"Never mind." She leaves.

* * *

"I can't believe our world's Twilight goes to Crystal Prep!" Rarity says.

"You're saying that Twilight's gonna play _against_ us?" Rainbow says. "She'd never do that"

"This isn't _our_ Twilight," Fluttershy says.

" _Our_ Twilight is a princess in Equestria and an _expert_ in friendship magic, and if _she_ was here, we'd have already figured out why magic is randomly popping up during pep rallies and costume changes!" Sunset pauses, then takes a deep breath. "Sorry. I'm just frustrated that I haven't heard back from her."

"She's probably got her own princess problems to deal with," AJ says.

"We can't expect her to just drop everything and jump through the portal whenever," Rarity says, "especially for something as minor as a few random pony-ups."

"But they aren't minor! Magic came into this world when I stole Twilight's crown. It's taken a lot for me to earn everyone's trust. If we have to forfeit the games because I can't think of a way to keep it under control..."

"It's like I told you earlier," I say. "Just keep at it. You're sure to figure everything out."

"You're the one who helped us understand what was goin' on with the sirens," AJ says. "Remember?"

"I guess... But Twilight was the one who _really_ figured out what we needed to defeat them."

"Don't you remember, darling? What we needed to defeat them... was you."

She sighs. "Alright."

"Okay!"

"Woo-hoo!"

"Come on, guys!" Rainbow says. "Let's see if we can find any info about the events and come up with a strategy. You comin', Sunset?"

I look back.

"I'll... catch up with you guys in a bit."

Hm...

"I'll go with her, too." I walk up to Sunset. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all."

* * *

We walk outside the school. The Crystal Prep buses are parked, and some of the students are standing next to them.

"Still no reply..."

Sunset has her book open, and the page is blank.

"How do you know when Twilight responds? Do you just have to keep checking?"

"When I used this back in Equestria, it would glow and vibrate whenever Princess Celestia had a message for me. I'm not sure if it still does that, though. The last message I got was the day before I went through the portal."

"So it's basically like a cell phone? Well, a cell phone that can only send texts..."

"Huh... I guess it is. Never thought of it that way before."

We walk up to the statue.

"Maybe there's another way I could reach her," she says.

"Like what?"

"I dunno..." She puts a hand on the portal. "Maybe -" As soon as it touches the portal, a small ring of fire forms around it. "Hey! Let go!" She tries pulling her hand off of the portal with her free hand, then puts that hand on the portal.

Crap! She's stuck!

I grab her right wrist with both of my hands and try pulling her off.

Not... working...

Suddenly, her hands become unglued from the portal, causing us both to lose our balance and fall back.

I look up. This world's Twilight is on the ground as well. I tap Sunset's shoulder to get her attention, then point toward Twilight.

"What did you do?!"

Twilight looks nervous.

"Twilight, you have to check in with the others," someone else says.

Twilight runs off in that direction before either of us can say anything else.

"You okay?" I ask Sunset.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She looks at her wrist. "My wrist is a little red, though."

"Sorry about that."

"It's no big deal."

I look at the portal. I carefully put my hand on it, then take it off. At least it doesn't do _that_ anymore.

Wait... I put my hand back on it.

It doesn't do _anything_ anymore!

"So, um... About the portal... It's... It's gone."

"Gone? How can it be gone?" She walks over and puts her hand on it. "It's gone!"

"Told you."

* * *

"What do ya mean the portal's gone?" AJ asks.

"I mean it's gone!" Sunset says. "It's closed! It vanished! It's not there anymore!"

We walk into the gym.

"How did that happen?" Rainbow asks.

"Ask our world's Twilight," I say. "She was on the other side of the statue when the portal disappeared."

I look around. They did a good job sprucing up the place. There's a generic "Welcome Crystal Prep" banner hanging above the stage. What happened to the one Flash and the others made? He told me Vice Principal Luna loved it. Did her sister not?

Vinyl is sitting at her DJ booth. As usual, she's wearing her headphones. Since she's in a DJ booth, I guess it's excusable.

A girl is standing at the snack table.

Is that her? Anybody could have brown hair, but she's the only brown-haired girl I know who wears socks that cover her knees, but don't go all the way up her thighs.

I walk up to her. "Olivia?"

She turns around.

Yup, it's her.

"Cloudflare?"

I smile. "It's been a while."

"Oh my gosh, I _knew_ it was you!" The two of us hug.

"I didn't know you went to Crystal Prep. How have things been going for you?"

"Well, the students aren't teasing me. They're not talking to me at all, actually. Aside from one... weird student."

"Weird how?"

"He has some... obsession with feet. I don't wanna go into it."

I can imagine how that one went. At least he didn't tell everyone. "I see... So you're on the Shadowbolts team for the Friendship Games?"

"Principal Cinch forced me to join. She said it would throw you guys off your game to see an ex-Wondercolt. Though from what I've seen, they don't even remember me."

"I heard a rumor that one of the events is jumping over hay bales. Doesn't she know about your prosthetic?"

"Wait, what?! I have to jump over..." She groans. "What the hell?! That b**** _does_ have it out for me!"

"Calm down. I'm sure she just forgot."

"My classes are across all three floors! I have to go up and down 240 steps every day!"

240?! She actually _counted_ them?!

"Hello, everyone!" Principal Celestia is standing on the stage. "I'd like to take this opportunity to greet all of our visitors from Crystal Prep Academy and welcome them to CHS."

"Are they still incompetent?" Olivia asks me.

"Sorta," I say. "They still seem oblivious to most of the stuff that goes on."

"Sunset Shimmer still runs the place, huh?"

Oh right... I forgot about that. "Uh... Well..."

"And lastly," Celestia says, "I would like to recognize the twelve students that CHS has elected to compete." I wave to the other students. "I don't think we could have chosen a better group to represent the excellence, sportsmanship, and friendship the games stand for."

"She could've chosen somebody other than Shimmer. But I guess when you have the principals in the palms of your hands..."

"Yeah... About that..." I should just tell her. "Sunset Shimmer is... Well... She's..."

The lights go out and a disco ball lowers from the ceiling. Vinyl starts playing a song at her booth.

"Nice way to break the ice," Olivia says.

"Yeah, Pinkie's good at that. So anyway, as I was saying... Sunset Shimmer..."

There's a loud bang, and confetti starts raining down. What _else_ is gonna interrupt me?!

"Wait, Pinkie used an _actual_ party cannon? I thought that was a metaphor for the meet-n-greet being a blast."

"At least it got everyone together."

All the students, CHS and Crystal Prep alike, have started dancing.

"Things sure have changed since I left."

"You have no idea how much..." I mutter.

"What was that?"

I sigh. Just gonna say it. "Sunset Shimmer and I are friends."

...

"Sunset Shimmer? The same Sunset Shimmer who ruined my life and yours? Did you hit your head on something?!"

That's the reaction I expected.

"She's changed! She's nice now."

"You've gotta be kidding! This is _Sunset Shimmer_ we're talking about!"

"Yes, and _Sunset Shimmer_ isn't a heartless -"

Someone taps on a microphone, producing loud feedback. The lights turn back on.

Principal Cinch is standing on-stage. "I'd like to thank Principal Celestia for her unconventional welcome. It's been four years since the last Friendship Games, but it feels as though nothing has changed. Canterlot High continues to pick its competitors in a popularity contest and Crystal Prep continues to field its top twelve students."

You mean its top eleven students and one you roped in.

The students walk back to their respective side, Olivia included. She's a bit mad at me.

"It is a comfort to know that even after so many years of _losses_ , your school remains committed to its ideals, however _misguided_ they may be. I wish you all the best of luck, regardless of the _inevitable_ outcome."

Why would Olivia go to Crystal Prep to begin with? I know she doesn't care about the rivalry, but she's a former Wondercolt! Surely she'd know how she'd look in their eyes. Maybe it was the only option available on such short notice...

I thought I'd be happier when I saw her again, since we dated for a few months until the students' torment forced us to break up. I still liked her when she left, but now I feel... nothing. Not even a little bit of interest. I guess my feelings for Sunset are too strong. That, or it's because Olivia and I have been apart for so long.

I walk back to the Rainbooms. Pinkie looks exhausted.

"You okay, Pinkie?" I ask. "What happened?"

"I don't know," she says. "Everyone started having fun after Twilight and I fired the party cannons and I ponied up."

"Another pony-up, huh?" Hm...

"But then the magic... It felt like it leaked out of me."

Rainbow Dash ponied up when she was showing CHS school spirit, Rarity ponied up when she said she loved making outfits for her friends, and now Pinkie Pie ponied up when she got everybody together in a party-type environment.

Think... What were the Elements of Harmony...

...

Loyalty... Laughter...

...

"Wait, it _leaked_ out of you? What does that... Never mind. I don't wanna know."

* * *

I walk out of the boutique.

 _Now the sh_ _ **O**_ _w is don_ **E**  
 _You tHink that yo_ u _have_ _ **w**_ _on_

Yeah, they were evil, but the song was catchy enough that I wanted to come up with my own lyrics.

 _But m_ **y** _time is no_ W  
 _I'm go_ _ **n**_ _na take you do_ w _ **N**_

I wish I didn't have a bad singing voice. At least it's not as bad as the magic-less sirens.

My phone rings. It's Sunset.

"Hey, Sunset."

"Hi, Cloudflare. How'd things go with Rarity?"

"Just finished up. She showed me a few of her basic designs, and said she could make them fit whatever events there might be without going overboard."

"She took your measurements, huh?"

"Yup."

"She didn't... um... make you..."

"No, I was allowed to keep my clothes on."

"Oh, good..." She sounds relieved.

"Why is that?"

"Uh... W-Well, uh... You know... Sh-She didn't force you to do something you didn't want to."

Mm-hmm... "Right."

...

"So... Any luck figuring out the random pony-ups?"

"Not yet. I looked through the library trying to find anything that could explain it, but came up empty."

"You're the one who brought magic into this world at the beginning of the school year. Why would the library have books on it?"

"Why would the library have a book on magic portal maintenance?"

"I guess you've got a point there."

She sighs. "I thought I knew enough about magic to figure this out."

"Just keep at it. If anybody can make sense of it, it's you."

"Thanks, Flare."

"I'll let you get back to it."

"Okay. I'll see ya later."

"'Kay. Bye."

"Bye."

We hang up.

...

She called me "Flare"...

She's never called me that before.

And her reaction...

...

She likes me. I'm a hundred percent sure of it now. I'm not worried about it being too early anymore. I'm asking her out after the Friendship Games!

As long as I don't chicken out...

* * *

 **A/N: Olivia's skin color is light grey (a bit lighter than Derpy's), and her hairstyle is the same as Mystery Mint's (timestamp 0:10:25 in the non-TV versions, far left), but about 2 inches shorter. She's missing her leg from below her knee, so she wears a prosthetic leg. She's a bit more foul-mouthed than Cloudflare.**

 **The lyrics are set to the sirens' verse of "Welcome to the Show" and are from a scrapped idea I had for the previous story. Certain letters are bolded, capitalized, and/or de-italicized to show he's not too good at singing.**


	3. Friday, event 1

**A/N: According to Twilight's calendar, the Friendship Games take place on the second Thursday of the month. Based on Luna's "first day of the Friendship Games" announcement, saving the Tri-Cross Relay for Friday makes sense. However, Fluttershy's encounter with Twilight implies everything took place on the same day (especially when Twilight said the Wondercolts "just lost" the first event).**

 **I moved everything to Friday because that's the day of the week the elementary and middle schools I went to held these types of events, and it makes more sense to me.**

* * *

"Welcome to the first event: The Academic Decathlon!" Dean Cadance says. "You'll be scored on chemistry, home-ec and everything in between. But remember, only the six students from each team with the most points will move on to event number two. Good luck!"

Olivia still looks mad at me. I don't blame her. I just hope I get the chance to properly explain.

* * *

The chemistry round was really simple. Follow the directions and be careful. Couldn't be easier! Yet somehow, that muffin girl managed to screw it up. I guess when you can't even focus your eyes...

I hadn't expected a round involving making screwdrivers in metal shop, especially when we don't have several days. Luckily, all we had to do was drill a hole in the handle, cut the metal rod to the correct length, forge the end of it, then glue them together. Rainbow took care of the handle, and I handled the metal. It turned out pretty well, considering I've never done any metal work before.

The cake-making round was extremely easy, since I was paired up with Pinkie. I handed her the ingredients she needed and she mixed them together. Somehow, she got the inside of the cake to look like the Mona Lisa. That shouldn't be possible, but this _is_ Pinkie Pie. What also shouldn't be possible is Flash and Sweetie Drops making _bread_ in a cake contest...

* * *

"It is now time for the spelling bee!" Principal Celestia announces. The crowd cheers.

"The rules are simple," Dean Cadance says. "The students will step up to the microphone one at a time and will be given a word to spell. They may ask for the definition or to hear it used in a sentence if it they think it could help. They will say the word, spell the word, then say the word again."

"No backpedaling," Principal Cinch says. "Once you say a letter, you must continue. You will have thirty seconds to begin spelling the word and seven seconds to give us the next letter. Spell it wrong, you're out."

Okay, I got this. Last in line on my team, so I have the most time to mentally prepare myself. As long as there aren't any rare, complex words, I should do fine.

"Since Canterlot High is hosting the Friendship Games this year," Luna says, "they will go first."

Rainbow walks up to the mic.

"First word... 'hippopotamus'."

Not a tough word, but I can see how the double-P could throw some people off.

"Hippopotamus: H-I-P-P-O-P-O-T-A-M... A-S? 'Hippopotamas'?"

A buzzer sounds.

Really, Dash? A-S?

Well, this is off to a _fantastic_ start...

Olivia walks up to the mic next.

"Next word... 'scoundrel'."

Hm... Is that A-L or E-L?

"Scoundrel..."

Pretty sure it's E-L.

"S-C-O-U-N-D-R-A-L. 'Scoundral'."

The buzzer sounds. Yup, I was right.

Pinkie skips up to the mic.

"Next word... 'sarsaparilla'."

Wow... Silent consonant words already?

"Ooh! That's an easy one! Sarsaparilla: S-A-R-S-P-A-R-I-L-L-A. 'Sarsparilla'!"

The buzzer sounds.

"What?!"

How was that wrong?! There _is_ a silent 'R', right?

* * *

Nobody has spelled _anything_ correctly so far. I guess when the first student fails to spell a word as simple as 'hippopotamus', it throws everyone off their game.

I walk to the mic. I need to get this right to give CHS any chance of winning. No pressure...

"Next word... 'algebraic'.

Hm... I know the 'algebra' part. Is it A-I-C or A-E-I-C? The change in pronunciation is what's throwing me off.

"Algebraic..."

I hope this is right.

"A-L-G-E-B-R-A-I-C. 'Algebraic'."

A bell sounds.

That was lucky. I return to my seat and Twilight takes the mic.

"Next word... isosceles'."

 _Of course_ you give the smartest student at Crystal Prep a geometry word.

"Isosceles: I-S-O-S-C-E-L-E-S. 'Isosceles'."

The bell sounds.

Yeah, knew she'd get that one.

So now it's down to me and her... Crystal Prep's smartest student... The entire CHS student body is counting on me.

As I walk to the mic, I close my eyes and take a couple deep breaths. I can do this... Just need to stay focused.

"Next word... 'onomatopoeic'."

'-poe **ic** '? Didn't know there was an '-ic' version of that word.

"Onomatopoeic..."

Okay, remember the cartoon...

"O-N-O... M-A-T-O..." Just relax. Maybe if I close my eyes... "P-O... E-I-C. 'Onomatopoeic'."

The bell sounds.

As Twilight takes my place at the mic, I take another deep breath. That was way tougher than I thought it'd be. Not looking at anything helped a little.

"Next word... 'linguistics'."

"Linguistics: L-I-N-G-U-I-S-T-I-C-S. 'Linguistics'."

The bell sounds.

No hesitation. How can she be so calm and collected?

"Next word... 'loquacious'."

Sounds like a word from the mid-1800s.

"Can I have the definition?"

"Talkative or chatty."

Looks like I have a new word to describe Pinkie.

I close my eyes. Let's see... Sound it out... "Lo... qua... cious..." Okay, the first syllable's easy. "L-O..." 'Kway'... Sounds like 'quail', but I'm not sure if the 'i' is there or not. "Q-U-A..." Hope that was right. Last syllable's also easy. "C-I-O-U-S. 'Loquacious'."

I hear the bell and return to my seat.

"Next word... 'sesquipedalian'."

Twilight doesn't answer right away. Does she not know this one?

"May I have the definition, please?"

"A long word, or a person who uses long words."

To be honest, I'm not sure if _I_ know this either.

"Sesquipedalian..." She looks unsure of herself. "S-E-S... Q-U-I-P... E-D-A-L... I-E-N. 'Sesquipedalien'."

The buzzer sounds.

"What?! How is that not right?"

"Sorry, Twilight," Dean Cadance says.

She walks back to her spot, disappointed.

I step up to the mic and close my eyes.

"Cloudflare. If you spell this word correctly," Luna says, "your team wins this game. If you spell it wrong, Twilight will have a chance to steal."

So much pressure... I take a few more deep breaths. My heart's racing, but I think I'm focused enough.

"Your word is..."

...

"'Quinquagenarian'."

...Kwing-what?

"One more time?"

"'Quinquagenarian'."

That's a word?!

"Definition?"

"Someone who is between the ages of 50 and 60."

Geez, I was hoping for a somewhat easy word to screw up on...

Okay... Clear mind... Approach this like the other unfamiliar words.

'Kween' sounds like it starts with Q-U, and it reminds me of the word 'wean'. ...Except that's spelled E-A. Q-U-E-A-N doesn't seem right. Maybe it's Q-U-I, like in 'quiche'. That starts with Q-U-I, right?

"Fifteen seconds."

Okay, I'm going with that. Just stay calm...

'Kween-kwah'... Kwah... Kwah... Kwah..k... 'Quack'! Q-U-A! Not a perfect match, but good enough.

I know how to spell 'octogenarian', so the last part's not an issue. Now to put it all together.

"Quinquagenarian..."

'Quiche', 'quack'. 'Quiche', 'quack'.

"Q-U-I-N..." I take another deep breath. "Q-U-A..." That takes care of the tough parts. Now to not screw up the easy one. "G-E-N... A-R... I... A-N. 'Quinquagenarian'."

...

"Cloudflare..."

I open my eyes. The CHS side is watching intently, and most of the CPA side is glaring at me. I am _so_ glad I blocked them out. I would've cracked.

Now I know how Fluttershy feels.

"Your spelling was..."

...

Why the suspense? Now I feel even _more_ nervous!

...

"...correct."

"YES!"

The CHS side erupts into cheers and applause.

"WOO!" I can hardly contain my excitement!

I look at my teammates, and they're applauding as well. It sounds like Sunset is cheering the loudest.

I run past the others and pull her into a hug.

...

I let go. "S-Sorry..."

"No, it's alright." She's blushing.

Gotta save the affection for later.

* * *

Twilight and Sunset are solving a geometry problem, and whoever gets it right, or right first, wins the first event for their team.

With the help of being paired with Pinkie during the cake round and my word knowledge from the spelling bee, I advanced to the second event. The Rainbooms, minus Fluttershy, also advanced. When I found out the final round was geometry, I asked the principals if Sunset could take my place. She's better at it than I am.

It looks like Sunset is slightly ahead, judging by how much they've written. I can't tell if they're doing it right. Angles of ACB, BDF, CEF... It's been a year since I've done this stuff, and I barely remember any of it. Triangle ABF is simple, since two angles are already given. Everything else, no idea.

Sunset sets her piece of chalk down, followed by Twilight. Principal Cinch checks the answers.

She points to Sunset. "Incorrect."

Can't say I'm surprised. CHS has never won the first event.

I hear the sound of a camera shutter. I look into the crowd. Photo Finish is holding her camera. I thought the idea was to take pictures of _positive_ moments.

"That means the winner of the Friendship Games' first event," Luna says, "is Twilight Sparkle and Crystal Prep!"

The Crystal Prep side doesn't sound very excited. I could've sworn they cared about winning.

Rainbow runs onto the stage and puts her arm around the back of Sunset. "That was awesome!"

The rest of us join them. "Truly amazing!" Rarity says.

"But we didn't win!" Sunset says.

"That was as close to winnin' as CHS has ever been," AJ says.

"You and Cloudflare knocked it out of the park!" Rainbow says.

All I did was spell words, though.

The Shadowbolts walk onto the stage. "After a careful tally of the points," Dean Cadance says, "we'd like to present the students moving on to the Friendship Games' second event."

Olivia's not looking at us. I really hope I can explain myself before the games are over.

* * *

"You guys go on ahead," Fluttershy says as we're standing at the statue. "I need to check on my animals."

I'm amazed the animals don't mind it in there. It's dark and cramped. I'm not claustrophobic, but I wouldn't want to be stuffed into a backpack for the entire day.

"Cloudflare!"

I look toward the school. It's Olivia.

"We need to talk."

That takes care of that. I look at the others. "I'll catch up." I turn back to Olivia.

"I thought about what you said about Sunset Shimmer."

"Like I said, she's changed."

"I _want_ to believe you. I'm just having trouble seeing her as a nice girl."

"I was the same way. How could someone who made my life a living hell suddenly turn over a new leaf?"

"Exactly!"

"But then I saw her help save the school last month, and I was convinced."

"Save the school?"

"It's a long story."

I look to my left. Fluttershy is talking to somebody with dark blue hair.

Twilight?

Fluttershy starts glowing, then hovers into the air. Her pony ears and wings appear.

"Of course... _another_ pony-up." I run over to her.

"Hey, wait up!"

Pinkie said the magic... leaked out of her... and she was just as exhausted as Rarity was. I'm curious to see what that looks like

I glance at Twilight. The thing around her neck floats in front of her. What _is_ that...?

It opens, and starts taking in Fluttershy's magic. That looks more like draining.

Several small holes open up, and a rabbit with antlers jumps out from one of them. That solves the portal mystery.

"What the hell..." Olivia caught up to me.

Spike chases the rabbit through one of the portals. When he comes out of another, he gets caught in the stream of magic.

"Spike!" Twilight forces the device closed, and the portals disappear. Fluttershy catches Spike and weakly hands him to Twilight.

"Spike! Are you okay?"

"Um... I think so."

...

Equestrian magic makes dogs talk. Sure, why not?

Twilight yelps and lets go of Spike. She runs away, and he gives chase.

"Twilight, wait!"

"Uh... I better get going," Olivia nervously says. "I need to... adjust my prosthetic." She walks away.

"Olivia..."

...

I look at Fluttershy. She's lying on the ground. I walk up to her. "Are you okay?"

"Fine... Just... tired..."

* * *

"All I did was hand Twilight a bunny. Then I ponied up."

"I don't get it," Sunset says. "Rarity's magic came out when she made us outfits, Pinkie's when she fixed the party, and now Fluttershy."

"Then Twilight's pendant thingy just pulled the magic right out of me. I couldn't even stand up."

"Like me at the party!" Pinkie says.

"Or me right before we met Twilight," Rarity says.

"So she's stealing magic?" Sunset asks.

"I don't know..." AJ says. "She doesn't seem like the magic-stealin' type."

"The pendant thing started floating right before it drained Fluttershy's magic," I say. "I don't think Twilight was in control of it."

"Still," Sunset says, "she had something to do with closing the portal. If her pendant can pull in magic, maybe it stole the portal, too."

"How?" Fluttershy asks.

"It's a magic portal," I say. "It has 'magic' in the name."

"And the pony or person or princess who could help me figure all this out is completely unreachable now," Sunset says.

Element of Generosity, Rarity said she likes making outfits for her friends, Rarity ponied up. Element of Laughter, Pinkie got everyone together and having a good time, Pinkie ponied up. Element of Kindness, Fluttershy was being kind to Twilight, Fluttershy ponied up. How have you _not_ figured this out on your own yet? _You're_ the one who told me about the Elements in the first place!

We walk outside. "For now, let's just focus on beating the Shadowbolts," Rainbow says. "And as long as this event puts me in a playing field, I don't think we've got anything to worry about."

"Oh, it puts you on a playin' field, alright..."

I look where AJ's pointing.

Um... Well then... That's certainly a playing field.

In the center of the field is some type of obstacle course. There are four hay bales near the start and a set of targets at the end. Around that is a small track of some sort. Around _that_ is a motocross course.

...What kind of school-sanctioned course is _this_?!

"Am I the only one who thinks this is overkill?" Sunset asks.

"It's overkill and it's unsafe. A jump from dirt to a vert ramp, then back to dirt, and then a transition between two more ramps? This is ridiculous! The permission slip said the school's not responsible for anything that happens, but that doesn't give you an excuse to make a track like _this_!"

"Relax, Cloudflare," Rainbow says.

"Relax? How can I relax when the principals don't give a crap about student safety?!"

"They're giving us helmets!"

"Whew! That's a relief. We'll probably break some ribs when we crash into the edge of the ramp, but at least we won't get a concussion!"

She puts her hand over my mouth. "We get it! The track isn't a hundred percent safe! Just shut up!"

...

I _really_ need to stop doing that.

She uncovers my mouth.

"Sorry. Whenever something doesn't make sense to me, I end up ranting about it."

"Why don't you ever rant about Pinkie?"

"If I did, that's all you'd ever hear me talk about."

"Good point."

"I don't suppose you made motocross outfits," AJ says to Rarity.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. Of course I did!"

...Where was she hiding those?


	4. Friday, event 2

**A/N: The rope swing didn't look possible to actually get across, especially since they have to jump to the rope. Instead of trying to explain cartoon physics from a cartoon character's perspective, I changed it to something realistic.**

* * *

AJ and I take our places at the start of the archery course next to Twilight and Olivia.

...

Wait... "Olivia? _You're_ running this course?"

She sighs. "Like I said, Principal Cinch is forcing me to compete."

"Didn't you tell her you can't do this?"

"Of course I did! She said, and I quote, 'If you can handle taking the stairs, you can handle a little running and jumping'."

Really?! "What the hell is her problem?"

"It's because I'm an ex-CHS student."

"Why not transfer back? At least here, the principals don't make you run a marathon."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea right about now..."

Dean Cadance gets on the PA system. "Welcome, everyone, to the Friendship Games Tri-Cross Relay!"

The crowd cheers.

"In this event, our qualifying competitors will face off in archery, speed skating, and finally, motocross."

"Good luck," I tell Olivia.

"Thanks. I'm gonna need it just to get over the first bale."

"So, if the competitors are ready..."

The two of us get into a ready-to-run position.

Dean Cadance blows the air horn, and I take off as the crowd cheers.

I approach the first hay bale, and it's much wider than I thought. No way am I gonna _leap_ over it.

I put my hands on the bale, then lift my left leg while I push off the ground with my right. I swing my legs around to the front, then slide off.

I wonder...

At the second bale, I push off with both feet and tumble across it. The Canterlot side cheers louder.

"CHS trying to win some style points!"

I grab an arrow holder and get onto the platform. Three gaps, each look to be a meter apart, with landing platforms short enough to make stopping not an option unless I want a mud bath.

I run at it, then make the leaps. Right... Left... Right... Made it! That was easy.

Now for the archery part. I pick up the bow. I load an arrow and look at the targets. Two are moving in a circle, and two are moving back and forth.

I'll try for the upper one.

"What the heck is this?!"

Sounds like she got to the gaps. I hope she doesn't hurt herself.

"Do I _have_ to jump?!"

"Yes, you have to jump," Dean Cadance says over the PA system.

Not the answer she was looking for.

I draw the string back. From what I remember, I need to aim slightly above the target. Don't remember how fast the arrows travel, though.

Let's see... How about... Now!

I release the string. The arrow hits the outer ring of the target. Okay, got the timing down.

I load another arrow. Try to aim at the same spot.

I release it, and it hits above the target.

I sigh. "It wasn't difficult enough to hit the center of a _stationary_ target?"

I load another. A little lower this time...

I release it, and it hits the right side of the inner ring. Getting closer.

I grab another. I hope I don't run out.

When I draw it back, I see an arrow in the center of the bottom target. One try? Really?!

Okay, I've got this. Wait for it... Wait for it...

...

Now!

...

Or not. That one hit the _left_ side of the inner ring.

I hope this doesn't end up being lucky number seven.

I load another. Do the exact same thing as last time...

...

Now!

...

Dead center.

"Yes!" I turn around and give AJ a thumbs-up, and she starts running.

Twilight is at the gaps.

"S***..."

I look at Olivia. She's sitting on the edge of the platform.

I walk over to her. "You okay?"

"My stump hurts a little." She sighs. "I _told_ her I couldn't do this..."

"You have your cream, right?"

"Not _with_ me. She said I had to leave it at the school."

"You've gotta be kidding me..." Why did she let her enroll in the first place?

Twilight and AJ make it to our platforms. AJ's first shot hits the outer ring, and Twilight's misses completely. AJ's second shot hits the center, and Rarity and Pinkie begin their part.

"And Canterlot's off to an early lead."

"How did you get it first try?" I ask Olivia.

"We're required to learn archery at Crystal Prep. I've had time to practice."

Twilight's second shot hits the upper left of the wall, and the third hits the bottom right. Her fourth shot barely misses the target.

"Was Twilight exempt from the lessons?"

"She keeps her head buried in books. It doesn't surprise me that she's crap at this."

"Whee!" Nice to see Pinkie's having fun.

"If CPA can't hit another bulls-eye soon, they'll be out of this race."

Twilight drops one of her arrows. She's shaking as she draws the string.

"You're really bad at this!"

" _Really?_ " I yell back. "'Cause I think she's doing _great!_ "

"Of course you'd think that! She's not on your team!"

Not sure if she couldn't figure out that was sarcasm or if she was being sarcastic herself.

AJ walks onto Twilight's platform. "Ya have to stop aimin' at the target," she tells Twilight.

"Don't aim at the target?" Olivia says. "What do you want her to aim at, my leg? Actually, go right ahead. I probably need a new one, anyway."

"Don't you have a spare?" I ask.

"Yes, but I need _another_ spare to replace this one."

"Ya have to stop aimin' at where the target _is_ and aim at where it's _gonna be_. Just trust me. Take a deep breath..."

Twilight does so.

"Let the arrow go... Right..."

...

"Now!"

...

Bulls-eye.

Well, at least she finally got it.

"Yeah! That's my girl!" Her dog jumps into her arms.

Twilight stands up and hugs AJ.

"See? I was tellin' ya the truth."

AJ glows orange and her pony ears appear.

"I'd say I didn't see that coming, but I'd be lying."

"See what coming?" Olivia looks behind her. "She's glowing, too? What's the deal with that, anyway?"

"Long story. I'll explain later." Twilight's device starts hovering again.

"Crap!" I forgot about that! I quickly climb onto the platform.

"What... are... you... doing?!"

"I don't know!"

The device is draining AJ's magic. I try forcing it shut, but it won't budge. My hand slides off the top and into the magic, and I quickly pull it out.

Okay, it still looks normal, and I don't feel any different. No second thumb or anything like that. Has that mark always been there...?

Twilight closes the device, but loses her balance and falls back. When she hits the ground, the device flies out of her hand and onto the skating track, then opens again. It unleashes a purple shockwave, and a portal opens in front of Twilight. A green vine creeps out from it.

Wait, those types of vines actually exist? Even with magic, they shouldn't be possible!

"Canterlot only has two laps to go, but it looks like Crystal Prep is making up for lost time!"

One of the Shadowbolts skates into the device and kicks it to the other side of the track.

Olivia taps my shoulder. "How about explaining now?"

I sigh, then turn around. "The girls on my team have magic from a world of colorful, talking ponies, and Twilight has some sort of device that steals magic."

"Magic? Colorful, talking ponies? Are you nuts?! What the hell kind of explanation is that?!"

"It's the truth!"

"No it's not! Magic isn't real!"

"Then how do you explain the holes and vines?"

She pauses. "Uh... Time and space being ripped apart?"

"And what about Applejack's pony ears?"

"Well... Um..."

Someone screams. I look behind me.

"Twilight!" She's getting dragged toward a portal by one of the vines. The end of one has a pair of mouth-like leaves.

I jump off the platform and run toward her.

What do I do, what do I do... Think think think...

...

Sure, why not?

I grab the vine around her leg and bite down on it. It releases her, but another grabs my right ankle.

Crap! Well, no biting my way out of this one. I try to pull it off, but it has a firm grip. I can't slip my fingers under it, either.

Olivia's just standing there. "I could use a little help here!"

"No way! I'm not losing my leg to that thing!"

"Who cares about that?! You have a spare!"

"At my house, yeah! And you remember my history with this school! Crystal Prep students will be even worse!"

"You'd let your ex-boyfriend become plant food because you're afraid of the CPA students?! They only care about winning! How would making fun of you benefit them in any way?!"

"I'm not taking that chance!"

"I tried saving Twilight, a girl I don't even know, and you won't even _try_ to save your only friend from CHS?!" She's still as stubborn as ever...

Maybe I can slide it off.

I remove my shoe and try pushing the vine down while pulling my leg back. It's not budging, but it's still my best option.

I kick it with my other foot a few times, then start pushing with it.

...

Why does Equestria have killer plants in the first place?! What purpose would these serve, home protection? Are non-unicorns _that_ defenseless?

"Canterlot wins!"

Great, we won. Now can somebody call off these weeds?!

"Attention students. Please proceed to the gym."

The plants disappear back into the portals, which close.

Glad that's over. I hope everyone else is okay.

I put my shoe back on, then run over to the finish line.

"The magic is going haywire," Sunset is saying to the others, "and I have no idea how to fix it!"

"I might have an idea," I say. I look at Rainbow, who's already ponied up. "Plant went after Sunset, you went back and got her, and then you ponied up?"

"Yup."

"Thought so." Element of Loyalty.

"Um, excuse me..." Twilight? "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted to learn about the strange energy coming from your school. I didn't know that it was magic or... how it works."

She took that much better than Olivia did.

Rainbow walks toward her. "That's okay. Neither do we."

"Dash, stop!" I yell.

Too late.

"Oh no! No no no! Not again!"

The device starts draining her magic.

"I'm sorry! It just started absorbing energy on its own! But I'm not sure how!"

"What do you _mean_ you don't know how?!" Sunset sounds irritated. She goes to close the device, but something shoots into the air. A portal opens, and there's a night sky on the other end.

"It also causes these corresponding rifts to appear, and I don't know how _that_ works either!"

"Is there anything you _do_ know? Like how to get our magic back? Or how to fix the portal to Equestria?!"

"Equestria?"

Wait... That tone...

"You're supposed to be so smart, but did you ever think that you shouldn't mess around with things you don't understand?!" She closes the device, causing the rift to close.

No...

"But I _wanna_ understand!"

"But you _don't_! And worst of all, you put the lives of my friends in danger!"

Was I...

"I'm sorry... I... I didn't mean to..." Twilight runs away crying.

"Twilight! Wait!" Her dog chases after her.

...

I was played... Again...

She's still the same.

I can feel the tears forming.

I turn around and run away.

"Cloudflare!"

It feels like my heart's been ripped from my chest.

...

Should I stay for the final round? It's not like I'll contribute anything. No one's gonna care if I leave.

...

Then again, I'm still technically on the team. Besides, I'd just go right to bed if I went home.

...


	5. Friday, event 3

"Since the score is tied, the final event will determine the winner of the Friendship Games."

"Somewhere on campus, a pennant from each school has been hidden. The first team to find their school's flag and bring it back wins."

"And as soon as our teams are ready, we'll begin."

Time heals all wounds.

That's how the saying goes.

It seems time can reopen old wounds as well.

I feel worse than I did when Olivia moved away.

I can't believe I actually _fell in love_ with that -

"Cloudflare?" I look up. It's Applejack. "Can we talk for a minute?"

I sigh. I move over, giving her room to sit.

"Look, I know you're upset."

"She said she changed. She Pinkie Promised."

"She _has_ changed. She just got worked up when she and her friends were put in danger. Do ya really think she'd flirt with ya if she was still her old self?"

"Sure she would. Ask Flash."

"Just give her another chance. You _know_ she's not like that anymore."

Element of Honesty...

I sigh again. "I'll think about it."

She stands up. "That's what I was hopin' to hear." She walks back to her friends.

...

AJ doesn't lie. Sunset _isn't_ how she was before. Maybe I _did_ overreact.

I feel like such an ass...

I look at the Crystal Prep side. A few students are circling around someone, while Principal Cinch watches. Is that some kind of pre-game ritual?

A moment later, Twilight is led toward the center of the area by Cinch.

"Twilight! Don't do it!"

...Olivia?

The other students seem to be holding someone back.

Sunset steps forward.

"If both teams are ready..."

It looks like Twilight's saying something. From her mouth movement, I think she's... singing? The other Shadowbolts are as well.

"You're making a mistake! Please listen to me!"

A mistake...? What is she...

"The last event of the Friendship Games begins..."

 _But the magic's what I really want to see_

She's holding her magic-draining device in front of her. Is she actually gonna...

She starts to open it.

Crap! I have to warn Sunset.

"Sunset! Stop her!"

"Twilight!" Someone emerges from behind the other Crystal Prep students and falls over.

Olivia!

"Now!"

There's a bright flash of white, then a purple glow surrounds the contained magic. As the ball of magic gets bigger, she starts levitating.

I should probably get outta here. Or at least out of the stands.

I look to my left. Well, it's a quick exit. I duck underneath the railing and sit on the edge. Looks like it's about a ten-foot drop. I grab the top of the railing, stand up, and leap off. I land with a roll.

"Help... me!"

I look up, and the ball of magic completely engulfs Twilight. There's another bright flash.

Crap...

That's still Twilight. Only she looks... evil. Her clothes have changed into a dark violet dress, with the back of it being much longer, making it look like she has a tail. Her hair looks like a flame of purple, magenta, and black. She's grown large, dark violet wings and a long, light blue horn. Two light blue flames are around her eyes, resembling glasses.

When I said I'd have to take on the next evil entity that threatens the school... I wasn't being serious.

She laughs evilly. "You were right! I didn't understand magic before, but now I do!"

She hits the statue with a magic blast, destroying the top part of it and opening another rift. A crack forms along the sidewalk and moves toward my friends, who manage to get out of the way of Twilight's blast. Another rift opens where they were standing.

Rift after rift opens, as the students scatter.

"Twilight, you can't do this!" Sunset...

"Why not?! There's a whole other world right there, and it's just filled with magic!" She opens another.

"But you're destroying _this_ world to get it!"

"So what?! There's more magic there, and I want to understand it all!"

Geez, why does _every_ villain do this? "If you want that world's magic," I yell, "why are you opening a bunch of small rifts?! It'd be more efficient to just open one big rift!"

"You're not helping!" Rainbow yells.

"You idiot!"

...I did it again.

"That's a great idea!" She aims a magic blast at Sunset, who jumps out of the way. The ground starts to break away and reveals another portal.

As the hole widens, a few students struggle to get out of danger. Applejack has caught one of them who wasn't so lucky.

On the Shadowbolts side, two of their students have fallen in. One is being held up by Pinkie, and the other is hanging onto the edge.

"Olivia!"

I run as quickly as I can to where she's hanging on, keeping my eyes on her.

The part of the ground her left hand is holding onto breaks apart.

S***! Move faster, legs!

I make it to her and kneel down.

"Grab my wrist!" I hold my arm out for her.

She hesitates for a moment. "Come on!" She grabs it with her free hand, and I grab hers. "Can you pull yourself up with the other?!"

"I can try!"

I start to pull her up and out of the hole.

Suddenly, the part of the ground she's still holding onto breaks away, and she yelps in fear. I barely manage to hang onto her without falling in as well.

"I've got you!"

"Quick! Pull me up!"

I try pulling her up, but I can feel her slipping from my grasp.

No no no no!

She has a look of panic on her face. "Hurry!"

"I'm trying!"

My grip slips to clinging to her fingers.

"Cloudflare!"

My fingers are quickly going numb. I can't pull her up now. I just have to hold on and hope for a miracle.

...

A second set of hands appear and grab her hand and wrist.

I look to my right.

Cloudchaser?

"Grab her other hand!" she says to me.

Olivia holds her right hand up, and I do just that.

"On three," I say to C.C. "One... two... three!"

We finally pull her back onto the ground. She's breathing heavily.

As she stands up, I see she's only standing on her left leg. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Something's wrong with my prosthetic, though. If I put any weight on it, I lose my balance."

"At least you're safe."

She hugs me. "Thanks a lot. If it weren't for you..."

"I couldn't have done it if C.C. didn't help out."

We separate and Olivia looks at her. "Thanks to you, too."

"It was nothing," she says. "I couldn't leave an old friend and his former GF hanging. We should get away from the hole."

"Good idea."

As we move toward the sidewalk, I notice Olivia's hopping on her left leg. "Need any help?"

"Nah, I got it."

"This isn't the way!" Sunset says to Twilight. "I know you feel powerful right now, like you can have everything you want! I've been where you are. I've made the same mistake you're making. I put on a crown, and just like you, I was overwhelmed by the magic it contained. I thought it could get me everything I wanted."

"Oh, you're wrong. Unlike you, I _can_ have everything I want!"

"No you can't. Even with all that magic and power, you'll still be alone!" She hold the magic-draining device up. "True magic comes from honesty..." The other girls are glowing, and an orange beam of magic shoots up from AJ. "Loyalty..." The same happens to the other girls. "Laughter... generosity... kindness."

Hey, she finally figured it out!

The magic flows into the device, and Sunset starts hovering.. "I understand you, Twilight, and I want to show you the most important magic of all..." She closes the device, then throws it on the ground. The ball of magic engulfs her. When the light clears, she's wearing a pink dress with a skirt that looks like the bottom of her normal shirt. The back of the dress goes past her feet, resembling a tail. Her boots are now orange with her sun insignia on them. She also has a horn and glowing yellow wings. "...the Magic of Friendship!"

I think I'm in love all over again!

"This... _is_ the same Sunset Shimmer who ruined our lives, right?" Olivia asks me.

"As I said, she's nice now. Would she be trying to save this world if she was still a jerk?"

Sunset uses her own magic to close the rifts.

"I guess not..."

"And would I have fallen in love with her..." I mutter.

She and Twilight charge at each other, and they meet in the middle, resulting in a bright flash of light. When it clears, they fire a magic blast at each other, and the two beams collide.

Twilight starts pushing Sunset's back.

Come on, Sunny... I know you can do this. You helped defeat the sirens. You've got this...

"Twilight!"

I keep forgetting about Spike.

Sunset pushes Twilight's magic attack back at her.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

...

...

The light fades, and Sunset and Twilight float to the ground, both back to normal. The giant hole is gone, too.

"Is this a regular thing?" Olivia asks me. "None of the CHS students look phased by all this."

"When evil magic threatens the school for the third time in the same school year, you get used to it."

I walk toward them, and I hear Olivia hopping behind me.

"Principal Celestia," Principal Cinch says, "on behalf of Crystal Prep, I demand that you forfeit the Friendship Games! Clearly, CHS has had an unfair advantage for quite some time! And it's _obvious_ that your students have been using magic for their own benefit!"

I hear Olivia growling.

" _I'd_ like to think that saving the world benefits us all," Celestia says.

"At least they didn't manipulate Twilight into releasing all the stolen magic and turning into a power-crazed magical creature that tried to rip the world apart just to win a game," one of the Crystal Prep students says.

Wow... "And I thought _Pinkie_ was loquacious."

"Stick to small words," she says to me. "You're not a sesquipedalian just because you can spell."

"That's ridiculous!" Cinch says.

"Nope, that's pretty much what happened." So talking Spike is permanent? I'm okay with that.

"Actually," another student says, "we're _all_ to blame. Mostly it was her!" That was... quite the attitude shift.

"Obviously my students have been infected with your magic, but -"

"You b****!" Olivia?! "Ever since I came to Crystal Prep, you've treated me like s***!" She hops up to Cinch. "I've had to go up and down 240 stairs every day for the past seven months, even after I gave you a doctor's note that says I can't! Two days ago, you forced me to compete in these games when you _knew_ my history with CHS! Then I found out I had to make three jumps in a row for the second round, and I told you my prosthetic isn't designed to absorb that much impact! You said to suck it up! And now it's damaged! I can't even put my weight on it! And _finally,_ you _blackmail_ me when I try to prevent all that magic from getting out of control! You've hated me since the day I arrived, and I'm -"

"Young lady, that is -"

"Go ahead! Suspend me!" She removes her prosthetic. "Tell everybody about my missing leg! I don't care anymore! I'm done with your piece-of-crap school!"

Half a year of frustration finally boiling over...

"I'll deal with your insubordination _after_ I take all of this up with the school board!" Cinch says.

"Good," Celestia says. "I'm sure they would be very interested in hearing all about the magical students with wings."

"And the portals to another dimension," Luna says.

"Don't forget about the talking dog," Cadance says with a giggle.

"'Cause that would _never_ ruin your reputation," Spike says.

She nervously looks around, then straightens her shirt and walks away.

"I know these Friendship Games haven't been what any of us expected," Celestia says, "but given what we've all just been through, I think it's fair to declare us all winners."

The students cheer.

"I'm just glad this whole thing's over," Olivia says.

"Um... Cloudflare?" Sunset walks up to me. "I... I want to apologize for how I acted earlier. When I found out Twilight was behind those magic pop-ups, I lost my cool."

"I know. When you did that, I thought you went back to your old ways. I felt heartbroken. After AJ talked to me about it, I realized I overreacted. Everyone flips out over something once in a while."

"And Olivia... I'm so sorry for how I treated you. I can't change what I've done, but maybe we can start over."

Olivia sighs. "I'm not entirely convinced you've changed."

"I know you're hesitant," I say, "and I was the same way. If you give her a chance, you'll see she's a completely different person. Pinkie Promise." I do the motions.

She closes her eyes as she thinks it over.

...

"Okay." She opens her eyes. "One chance."

They shake hands.

"If you're wrong," she says to me, "I won't hesitate to kick your butt."

"I'd be in enough trouble for breaking a Pinkie Promise. You have nothing to worry about."


	6. Epilogue

*****Friday*****

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"I talked with some of the students," Olivia says. "They apologized for how they treated me. I think I'd actually like it here now."

"And after you blew up at Principal Cinch, she's probably more than happy to get rid of you."

"I'll go talk with Dean Cadance." She walks over to Cadance and Twilight. Good thing CHS keeps a few sets of crutches on-hand.

 _I will be adored  
This you can't ignore_

Wait... I can actually sing now? Guess it's a side effect of that magic exposure.

I walk back to the Rainbooms, who are standing at what's left of the statue.

"Still nothing from the princess?" I ask Sunset.

She looks through her book. "Not yet, but I think I may have figured out how magic works in this world. We pony up when we're showing the truest part of ourselves. I was so busy waiting for someone else to give me the answers that I gave up looking for them myself. I'm sure that more magical problems will pop up in this world, but like Applejack said, Princess Twilight has her own problems to worry about in Equestria. We can't expect her to always be around to help _us_."

"But maybe I can be?"

Our world's Twilight is accompanied by Principal Celestia and Olivia.

"It seems we have a new Wondercolt here at Canterlot High!" Celestia says.

"I'm not sure how much help I could be, but I'd like to try, if you would all give me a chance."

"And a returning Wondercolt!"

"I'm kinda glad I was roped into all this. I wouldn't have seen how much CHS has changed if Principal Bi- Cinch didn't have it out for me."

"Making the best of a bad situation." Everything worked out for both of us in the end.

"I'm sure I can count on all of you to help them feel at home," Celestia says.

Sunset puts an arm around Twilight. "You sure can!"

The Friendship Games are over.

I said I'd ask her after the games.

"Hey, Sunset? Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" Might make it less stressful.

"Um... Okay..." We start walking away from the group.

I probably shouldn't jump right to asking her.

"Today's been one hell of a day."

"Heh. You can say _that_ again."

"I know it didn't go how any of us expected, but I'm actually glad it went this way." Well, aside from me freaking out over a misunderstanding. "Plus, I reconnected with Olivia."

"I guess you're getting back together with her..."

I get why she'd think that, but... "Olivia and I are friends again, but we're not going back to dating."

"You're not?"

"I was glad to see her again, but I wasn't attracted to her like I used to be. We've probably been apart for too long."

"Really?" She sounds happy to hear that. "Uh... I mean... That's too bad."

Okay, I think I'm ready.

"Sunset Shimmer..."

Just say it...

"Would you like to get something to eat with me tomorrow night?"

Please say yes, please say yes...

"You're... asking me out?"

...

She smiles. "I would love to go out with you."

Yes!

"So where are we going?"

...

"Um..." I _knew_ I forgot something... Quick, think of a place... "How about Cherry's Diner at 7:00?"

"Sounds great. I'm looking forward to it."

"So am I."

Yes! I'm going out with Sunset Shimmer!

* * *

 *****Saturday*****

The Rainbooms, Twilight, Olivia, and I are having a picnic next to what's left of the statue.

Until Olivia can see her doctor, she can't wear her prosthetic. She has to stay on crutches or in her wheelchair, and she hates the latter.

"So how have the past seven months been for you?" Olivia asks me.

"Bad and good, but mostly bad. For the first six months, things didn't get better. If anything, it got worse. After you left, Gilda turned her attention to me."

"She didn't!"

"Yeah... That was the worst. Every Thursday, she'd shove me into the locker doors just for the fun of it. She did it so hard once, I almost dislocated my shoulder. I guess she got bored of it, because starting in January, she only did it once a month. She stopped completely last month."

"Didn't you tell the principal?"

"Didn't _you_ tell the principal?"

"Good point."

"Anyway, last month, three girls who call themselves the Dazzlings showed up and sang a song about changing the annual musical showcase to a musical competition."

"The Dazzlings were at CHS?"

"Yeah. You know them?"

"They're the lead singers in the Crystal Prep Choir. Sonata was in my History class. She's a bit of an airhead."

Sounds like their human counterparts. "I could see that. Anyway, they used their singing to turn the student body against each other and convince the principals to change the event to a battle. I wasn't affected by their song, so they told me they could help get revenge on the school for the months of torment."

"That doesn't sound like them. Or you."

"If someone came to you and said they could help you get back at Sunset Shimmer, wouldn't you join them too?"

"I guess... But why would they care about something like that?"

"They didn't. They used me."

"Used you?"

"I wasn't under their spell, but they were able to feed off my hatred for the school by putting their hands on my shoulders."

"'Under their spell'? 'Feed off your hatred'? You're not saying the Dazzlings have magic, are you?"

"I am. Well, the Dazzlings from Equestria do."

"That doesn't..." She sighs. "You've lost me."

A sound comes from the portal, and Twilight emerges from it.

"I'm _so_ sorry I didn't get here sooner!" she says. "I didn't get your messages until just now because I was caught in this time travel loop and honestly, it was the strangest thing that's ever happened to me!"

Pony Twilight stares at human Twilight in surprise, and human Twilight nervously waves.

Time and space isn't about to fall apart, is it?

"Make that... the second strangest..."

I mean, she _did_ mention time travel...

* * *

 **A/N: For an alternate version of this story, check my profile (alternate version is rated T).  
**


	7. Alternate scenes

**A/N: These are a few scenes I wrote prior to seeing the movie that I ended up cutting or changing. Instead of scrapping them completely, I decided to put them in a bonus chapter. None of these are canon with the actual story.**

* * *

 *****Buildup to an alternate version of the Crystal Prep spy mission*****

 **One** two snare four **one two** snare four **one** two snare four **one two** snare left **one** -

"Aagh, damn it! This is impossible!" I hate this thing!

"Hi-hat pedal again?"

I look at AJ. "It feels like trying to kick a ball with your dominant foot immediately after kicking one with your other foot."

"Then try kicking with both feet at once."

"Both feet at once?"

...

Maybe...

 **One** two snare four **one two** snare lift **one** two snare four **one two** snare lift

"It worked! Thanks, AJ. Don't know how I never thought of that."

"I am _never_ spying with her again!" Rainbow and Pinkie walk into the garage. Rainbow's clearly upset.

"How'd it go?" I ask.

"Rainbow blew our cover," Pinkie says.

"That's because Pinkie was being as unstealthy as possible!" Rainbow says. "She has no indoor voice!"

"Of course I have an indoor voice. It's the same as my outdoor voice!"

"That's the problem!"

"Did you get _any_ info?" I ask.

"Other than the sound of somebody doing sit-ups?"

"Maybe you could try again tomorrow with someone else."

"No way! They're probably expecting us now."

"Well, what about the day after?"

"I guess I could try, but they already know what I look like. I'm pretty sure if they find me again, they'll put 2 and 2 together."

"Then I'll go. This doesn't have to be a 2-person job."

* * *

 **A/N: While I was thinking of how to include him in the shorts, this was one of the ideas I came up with. The actual spy mission wouldn't have been very exciting this way, but I was hoping I could at least use the drum part somewhere.**

* * *

 *****Unfinished alternate version of Twilight investigating the statue and being chased away by Sunset and Cloudflare*****

I notice something in the corner of my eye. I look in that direction, and there's somebody in a greenish-blue hoodie standing at the statue. They're holding some type of purple device in their right hand and their left hand is on the spot where the portal would be.

"Hey!"

They turn around. It's a girl.

"What are you doing?"

She starts running away.

"Wait!" The two of us give chase.

"Get back here!"

As we're about to cross the street, a car drives past us and cuts us off. I quickly check both ways and hurry across the street as a bus pulls up.

"Wait!"

The girl gets on the bus, and I follow. The doors close behind me and the bus starts moving. I follow her to the back.

"What were you doing to the statue?" I sit down.

"I-I was just looking."

"You were touching the side facing the school, and you were holding that purple thing."

She stays quiet.

"Who are you?" I pull the hood back. She's wearing glasses, and her hair, dark blue with purple and... light red, I think? ...highlights, is tied back in a bun, and she has bangs. She has a hair clip of what looks like a six-pointed star. Her eyes and skin are purple.

"Huh..."

"Is something wrong?"

It's gotta be a coincidence. "It's nothing."

She sighs. "My name's Twilight Sparkle, and I go to Crystal Prep Academy." Twilight? A Crystal Prep student? "You attend Canterlot High, right? Have there been any strange occurrences this school year?"

As confused as I am by there being _another_ Twilight... "Why should I tell a Crystal Prep student anything?"

"I don't care about this dumb rivalry our schools have. I just want to get to the bottom of everything. A lot of unusual things have been happening, and they all seem to be connected to your school."

"Then why don't you find out for yourself?"

"That's what I _was_ doing until you and your girlfriend chased me away."

"She's not my girlfriend!"

She sighs. "Just tell me what's up with the statue."

* * *

 **A/N: I never intended to use this one. I was curious to see how an interaction between the two of them would go that early in the story.**

* * *

 *****Original version of Cloudflare reuniting with Olivia*****

I see a girl standing at the snack table. Is that her? Anybody could have brown hair, but she's the only brown-haired girl I know who wears socks that cover her knees, but don't go all the way up her thighs.

I walk up to her. "Olivia?"

She turns around. "Cloudflare?"

Yup, it's her. I smile. "It's been a while."

"Oh my gosh, I _knew_ it was you!" The two of us hug.

"I didn't know you went to Crystal Prep. I thought you moved away."

"I did. It was just to the other side of town."

"Why didn't you at least come to visit?"

"Because I didn't want any of the students here to recognize me." She looks around. "But from what I've seen, they don't remember me at all."

"You could've called, at least."

"I never got your number."

Wait, really? "I never gave you it?" How could I have forgotten? "What kind of crappy boyfriend doesn't give his girlfriend his number...?"

She holds my hands. "You weren't a crappy boyfriend. You were the only person here that wanted to be my friend. That was the happiest I felt all year. I could overlook something minor like that." She tightens her grip slightly. "You know, since we're not in the same school anymore, maybe we could pick up where we left off."

I sigh. As nice as that would be... "I don't know... I'm trying to sort out my feelings for someone else. Plus, you and I haven't talked since October. Jumping back into a relationship doesn't seem like it'd work."

"Oh..." She lets go of my hands. "I understand. We can still hang out, right?"

"Of course." She smiles. "I'm glad to see you're doing better. Do they not know about your leg?"

"Oh, no. I'm _much_ more careful to remember where I put my prosthetic. I got an extra one after I moved away just in case. No way am I going through all that again. So what about you? You look much happier than when I left."

"It's a long story."

"Hey, Cloudflare." I turn around, and Sunset walks up to us. This isn't good.

"I gotta go."

I grab Olivia's wrist as she tries to leave. "It's okay. She's changed."

"I don't wanna be anywhere near her."

"Who's this?" Sunset asks.

"Olivia. The girl I used to date, remember?"

"Please let go of me."

I take ahold of her other wrist. "Do you trust me?"

"Well, yes..."

"I know it's hard to believe, but Sunset Shimmer isn't like how she used to be. She's really nice now."

"Olivia," Sunset says, "I'm so sorry for putting you through all that. That was the old me. I can't take back what I've done, but maybe we can put the past behind us."

"After what you did to me? To him?" Olivia looks at me. "I just... I really don't want to be around her."

"It's okay," Sunset says. "I'll leave you two alone..." She walks away.

"Sunset, wait!"

...

I feel bad for her. No matter how much she tries to forget it, her past keeps creeping up. At the same time, I understand why Olivia wants to avoid her.

"I'm sorry. I just don't see how someone like her could've changed her ways so quickly," she says.

"I thought the same thing. Then I saw first-hand how she changed. If you actually get to know her..."

"Hey there, Olivia." The Crystal Prep student with light blue hair walks up to us.

"Hi, Sugarcoat."

She looks at me. "Is this the boy you told us about?"

Olivia nods. "This is Cloudflare."

Sugarcoat looks at me. "What did you see in her that the rest of this school didn't?"

"My old friends said everybody would either tease her or avoid her because they were afraid of being teased themselves. I thought everybody needs at least _one_ friend, and I didn't think Sunset would be cruel enough to ruin my reputation if she saw me with her."

"Olivia told us about that girl. Total b****."

As much as I want to defend Sunset, I know how true that was.

"Olivia should be thanking you. Your actions got her out of this hellhole."

"Well, things _did_ eventually get better." I look at Olivia. "For both of us, by the looks of it."

"Sugarcoat! Olivia!" The green-haired girl walks toward us. "Stop flirting with the competition. We need to discuss our game plans." She looks at me. "This the boy?

Olivia nods.

The girl whispers something to Sugarcoat.

"Olivia, go back to the rest of the team," Sugarcoat says.

"But I still want to chat with him."

"You two can catch up later," the green-haired girl says.

Olivia sighs. "See ya later."

"See ya."

After she leaves, the two girls turn their attention to me. "So you're on the Wondercolts team, huh?"

I nod. "Yes I am."

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everybody at CHS made your school life and your girlfriend's a living hell," Sugarcoat says, "yet you're representing them in the Friendship Games."

"And on the same team as Sunset Shimmer, no less," the green-haired girl says. They smile.

I recognize their tones. "No."

"Excuse me?"

"I know what you two are trying to do. I'm not falling for it this time."

"We're not trying anything," the green-haired girl says.

"You worry about your team. I'll worry about mine." I head back to the rest of my team.

* * *

 **A/N: I actually like the way I wrote this, especially since it shows he's no longer easily manipulated and Olivia is still afraid of Sunset, but it didn't match up with the actual events. In my pre-movie draft, Olivia became friends with the Shadowbolts girls (minus Twilight) as a result of her hating most of the students at CHS.**

* * *

 *****Unfinished epilogue involving Discord as the superintendent*****

Sunset and I leave my locker and head for the exit.

"I'm glad everything's back to normal," she says.

"Yeah. For now, anyway."

"You think Olivia would want to come back to CHS?"

"I asked her yesterday. She said there are too many bad memories at this place. She thought it'd be easier after being away for half a year, but nope."

"It's a shame. The students would probably be more accepting of her now."

I notice a man walking through the hall.

"Superintendent Discord? What's he doing here?"

"Discord? _He's_ the superintendent?"

"Were you expecting someone else?"

"I wasn't expecting _him_. In Equestria, Discord is -"

"Hello there." He walks up to us. "I presume you two are... Cloudflare and Sunset Shimmer?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh, good. If you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with the two of you. It won't take long."

"We're not in trouble, are we?" Sunset asks.

"No, not at all," Discord says. "I just want to talk about the last couple school events."

Sounds like we are. "Okay, fine."

"Great! Follow me."

He leads us through the halls, and we walk into Principal Celestia's office. In there, she and Vice Principal Luna are sitting in two of the chairs closest to the door. Sunset and I sit in the other 2 chairs, and he sits at the desk.

"I thought you only wanted to talk with me and my sister," Luna says.

"I did, but I saw these two on my way here, and this matter also concerns them." Yup. Definitely in trouble.

"I've received several reports during the school year of unusual incidents occurring on school grounds and at the local amphitheater." He looks at Sunset. "According to school records, the night of the Fall Formal, Sunset Shimmer made a hole in the school entrance roughly 200 feet in diameter."

Sunset looks very uneasy. She was _really_ trying to forget that.

"How one student was able to do that, I can't fathom, and she should've been expelled for it. But I digress. Destruction of school property is typically committed by students with a lengthy rap sheet, yet this is the only thing Miss Shimmer has been written up for." He looks at the principals. "The administration offices have gotten a few e-mails and phone calls from parents about her, in their words, running the student body."

"It's true that Sunset Shimmer was a bit of a troublesome student," Luna says. "However, she never broke any school rules until the Fall Formal."

"Since it was her first offense," Celestia says, "I let her stay at Canterlot High if she fixed the hole and sat through a week of in-school suspension."

"I see..." Discord looks at Sunset again. "Exactly how _did_ you take out the entire front entrance?"

She sighs. "I turned into a demon using a magical crown from another world and destroyed the front of the school with a magic blast." Every time it seems like she's gotten past that, someone makes her bring it up again.

"Well... I like practical jokes as much as the next guy, but there's a time and place for them."

"But I'm telling the -"

"I'll find out the real story later." He looks at me. "Anyway, on to Cloudflare. I looked through your files, and I see you came to Principal Celestia's office several times this school year. What were those visits about?"

And now it's _my_ turn to remember something I'd rather forget. "The other students were picking on me every day."

"What for?"

"Somebody saw me hanging out with a girl they made fun of for being handicapped."

"Who saw you?"

Damn it, I was hoping he wouldn't ask that. I look at Sunset, who's nervously looking at me. I'm sorry...

"It was Sunset Shimmer."

"The same Sunset Shimmer who's sitting next to you?"

I nod. "She saw the two of us together after school one day, then uploaded a video showing us and sent it to the entire school."

"Where is this video?"

"I deleted it a few months ago," Sunset says. "Trying to put my past behind me."

He looks at the principals. "Celestia, Luna, were either of you aware of the video?"

"It was never brought to our attention," Celestia says. "If Cloudflare said something about it, we might've acted sooner."

If I said something about it?! "I told you about it several times! I came to your office 10 times in 4 months, and each time you said, 'Oh, I'll look into it', yet nothing happened!"

"When you stopped talking with me, I thought the problem resolved itself."

"That's because I was fed up with you doing nothing! Sooner or later, you realize it's not working, so you stop wasting your time."

"Why didn't you talk to me about it?" Luna asks. "I would've tried to stop it."

Does your sister not tell you anything? "I thought about it, but I was so fed up with your sister not taking it seriously, I assumed you'd do the same."

...

"Now that I think about it, how are _both_ of you so out-of-touch with what goes on at this school that _neither_ of you noticed Sunset was ruling the school the entire time she was here?"

"That's enough!" Discord interrupts.

I sigh. "Superintendent Discord, please go easy on Sunset. She doesn't act anything like how she used to. She helped save the school twice this year."

"I assume the first time was during the musical showcase that turned into a band competition?"

I nod.

* * *

 **A/N: I fully outlined this scene, but scrapped it when I was almost finished writing it. No one would receive any punishment right away, and I would've left the result ambiguous.**


End file.
